Chapter 03
He ignores all the looks he received as he is on his way to the grocery store. He's already used to it. And even if he doesn't, he just doesn't give a shit. Who cares what they think? Their eyes don't impact his life that he is living.
Sunday morning is probably the only time where he is regularly outside, not as Eraserhead but as Aizawa. It's around this time where he goes out to buy all the necessities. It's not every Sunday, though; he's efficient enough to last two or more weeks. The only things that constantly run out are his jelly pouches and coffee.
Recovery Girl might die from heart attack if she ever found out he keeps on consuming them, despite her quite literally threatening him to stop.
In the bustling crowd, a peculiar sight catches his attention, one that forces him to stop in his tracks. Out of the crowd around him, a little far away, there is a person that catches his attention, and she is walking towards him but has her eyes down.
She has a thick, woolen beanie over her head, dark gray in color, perfectly covering her ears. She wears a heavy brown jacket that covers her frame and a pair of loose jeans. There's also a woolen scarf around her neck, matching the beanie's color. She even wears a pair of round glasses.
It looks stuffy.
And that's coming from him.
It doesn't take long for him to realize that she's under heavy disguise. No one can recognize her unless they look with scrutinizing eyes (like his) or from a cautious person (like him). He thinks it's because she doesn't want to be bothered. He wants her to grant the wish but before he can move a muscle, she suddenly looks up.
They lock eyes.
He can see the realization appear in her ruby red widening eyes upon seeing him.
Then, a smile blooms on her face as her eyes crease at the corners.
She jogs over to him, weaving through the disinterested crowds and modestly waves a hand at him, probably to keep attention away from her.
"Eraserhead," she greets at a considerably moderate volume, considering how she shouted the previous two times. "Fancy seein' you here. And what the fuck are you wearin'?"
He looks down at himself, specifically at his capture weapon that is loosely wrapped around his shoulders, his long sleeved shirt and his pink sweatpants that are actually a birthday present from Nemuri, saying that it was extremely comfortable.
It's the reason why he got so many looks today.
"I could say the same thing to you," he asks her back, intentionally dodging the question. She chuckles, sounding quite happy to cross paths with him.
"Don't wanna be bothered, y'know. It's me time right now," she answers with a light shrug. It seems he was correct; she doesn't want to be bothered.
"I should get out of your hair then-"
"I was about to invite you out for a drink." She quickly butts in before he can finish his sentence and turn away. "Do you wanna come? There's a spot that I really like," she asks invitingly with a welcoming smile. It sounds like she doesn't want him to go.
"Are you sure?" He asks with an eyebrow raised.
"Extra sure." Her smile gets a little wider.
"…Alright."
Her smile turns warm.
.
The cafe is nice but it is incomparable to "Uncle Rocket Jump's Cat Cafe". Not only does it have great coffee, it also has cats and, best of all, kittens . And they are all free for him to pet. He's their exclusive customer that just by showing up already got his order on the way.
And , to top it all off, the cats and kittens recognize him.
It's basically heaven.
This cafe is okay enough. And besides, Miruko offered. That means free breakfast.
"Do you usually invite people out?" he asks as soon as they sit down. A nearby waitress walks over to them, a pencil and notepad ready in hands.
"No, not really," Miruko answers while shaking her head. "You're the first one in a long while. I'm just too busy to spend some leisure time, y'know."
"I know."
He knows it really well, seeing how his friends, co-worker and employer all non stop nagging him to at least take a day off.
"Hello, may I take your order?" The arrived waitress asks with a polite voice.
"Gimme carrot juice."
"Coffee."
"Anything else?"
"Nope."
"None."
"Okay!"
"Something tells me you shouldn't be drinkin' coffee," he hears Miruko comments as the waitress walks away to get their orders down. Looking over to her, she has her eyes narrowed at him in suspicion.
He doesn't give her an answer.
She's already on the "Aizawa is good with kids" believer list and he doesn't want her on the "Stop drinking coffee, Aizawa" pesterer list too. Everyone he knows is on both lists; he wants to make a change with Miruko (hopefully).
"When's the last time you're with someone out?" he asks her, purposely dodging. Her eyes get narrower before she lets out a quiet snort.
"I was with Fatgum, though it has been a while since he and I hung out. That was years ago."
"Close?"
"Not enough to out a second time unfortunately," she answers, seemingly understanding his single word question. "He's very friendly, though. And never stopped eatin'."
"That's Fatgum," he says.
"You know him?" she asks. Her eyes are alight with curiosity. He nods his head with a hum.
"We were coworkers years ago and have kept in touch since. He always brings food whenever he drops by for a visit."
"Is that so?" He quickly notices that her eyes are narrowing at him, as if she just realizes or remembers something. "Y'know… I've heard somethin' interestin' from Fatgum. He once told me that he has a friend who loves hugs."
"Not me." He replies so fast that it leads to Miruko letting out a boisterous laugh and interrupting other customers in the cafe. She doesn't look like she cares.
When their drinks finally arrive, she carries the rest of the conversation, and he's thankful for that. She does most of the talking and doesn't seem bothered that he would only quip a few words here and there. She seems to be enjoying her time here.
The whole time, her cheeks are tinted pink and her lips are always in a small smile.
.
The bell on the door jingles, signaling their departure this time. They stop in the middle of the sidewalk, still bustling with people walking by but they seem to leave them alone.
When Miruko turns towards him, she looks particularly sad.
"I guess this is where we go our ways, huh?" she asks him. He hums in affirmation. "It was fun."
"Even though you did most of the talking?" he can't help but ask.
"Uh huh." She nods her head. Then, she gives him a sad smile. "I wish we could stay together longer, y'know?"
That truthfully takes him by surprise. Why would she be sad about that?
"Well… See ya when I see ya, Eraser."
"Hm."
She bids him goodbye before turning around and walks down the path. There is a notable slump in her shoulders.
He wonders what is up with her.
No matter. He has a small business to do before he goes grocery shopping. He turns back around and heads down the path opposite to Miruko's.
The alleyway isn't too far away from here, but the stray cats will be quite starving.
And they dislike having their food delayed even by a minute.
He looks forward to their meowings.
.
He wasn't even far from the entrance. He had just grabbed the basket and was about to head down an aisle when he saw her. She also has a basket in her hand; its only content is a bunch of carrots tied together. When he realized she was also here, she was already frozen on the spot, likely seeing him first before he saw her.
"Miruko?"
She has an even bigger smile now.
And her eyes are glittering.
"Fancy seein' you here," she teases as soon as she is close enough after walking over to him, using the exact same tone she used earlier today. "And what the fuck are you wearin'?" This time, she can barely hold back the chuckle from erupting.
He snorts, humored.
"Really though, why're you here? It can't be fate, right?" she asks genuinely.
The creases at the corners of her eyes are more pronounced than ever before.
"I was actually going to buy some groceries," he admits. "It's the reason why I am out and about."
"No fuckin' way, me too! I've been workin' nonstop so I forgot to refill my fridge," she replies with a wide smile, as if the coincidence thrills her. "Since we're here, wanna go around together while at it?"
She looks really ecstatic at the idea.
When he nods his head, the smile on her lips stretches wider and her eyes grow bigger with enlightenment.
Well, he doesn't mind at all.
.
"I got what I wanted from here. Do you have anything I can get you?"
"Tea, preferably green tea."
"You drink tea?"
"No."
"Then?"
"Don't ask."
"You got it!"
He looks down at the grocery list he had written down back at home while trusting Miruko to grab the tea he requested. He's mostly gone through the list, leaving only a few more stuff to put into the basket. It won't take too long to find them.
Well, usually , it won't.
Right now, he has a companion, and they are taking their time around the store.
"Is this good?" Miruko's voice pulls him away from the list. He looks up at her and sees her holding up a box of branded green tea.
It's good enough.
"Thank you," he says, taking the box from her and drops it into the basket. "I have a few more things to buy and I'm good to go."
"Alright."
He's not sure if Miruko has a grocery list. Going around the store with her shows him that she's more of an impulsive buyer, putting anything her eyes catch into her basket and good to go. His next stuff to buy is right on the next aisle, and on the way she already put two items into her already full basket after checking them once. Once they are in the said aisle, he stops by a shelf.
There's the coffee brand he quite enjoys.
It was Ingenium who introduced it to him, who quickly got yelled at by Mic and Midnight for introducing coffee to him when he actually should be cutting them down.
He thinks Nedzu also gave Ingenium a personal call but neither party ever confirmed it.
"This thing tastes like shit. Don't even try to buy it."
He looks over at what she is referring to.
He finds her holding up a jelly pouch.
It is quite convenient that his two top items are placed opposite to each other.
He gives her a raised eyebrow look. She returns the look but adds confusion into the mix.
Then, without breaking eye contact, he grabs the pouch from her hand and drops it into his basket. Her eyes widen in disbelief and her jaw hangs open.
"There ain't no fuckin' way you're buyin' that."
"I am buying that." He grabs a few more from the shelf to prove his point. She makes a face of complete disgust. Even her ears are shriveling.
"Fuckin' hell man, this shit is shit ."
"It's nutritious."
"An IV bag is more nutritious than this."
He stops in his tracks.
He blinks, realizing.
'Recovery Girl has them, right?'
"No- Eraserhead, don't you fuckin' dare-"
.
When they exit the grocery store, the sun is already going down, about to dip behind the horizon. The sidewalk that they are on is now a little quieter and emptier since the day is about to end. He had never taken his grocery run so long ever before. He did leave home a little later than usual but it's not his latest.
Then again, he was not alone today. Meeting Miruko really delayed his home arrival, but he didn't complain. He spent most of his time today together with her. He doesn't mind her presence; she's one of the few that he tolerates, and that is a very short list.
Her enthusiasm to hang out with him is a little strange to him, though.
He looks down at his grocery bag, noting a few new items he had never taken before. These are suggestions from Miruko and he had no reasons to turn her down.
"Got anywhere to go after this?" He hears Miruko asking from behind him. He turns around to face her. Her bag is more full compared to his, and she outright rejected his suggestion ( "I will not fucking buy that heroin in liquid form, motherfucker!" ).
"I'm heading straight home," he informs her.
"Is that so?"
"Hm."
She doesn't say anything to reply. Instead, she stares at him quietly for a little while. Her eyes are focused on him yet he can tell she is not looking. She must be so deep in thought that her lips slowly part.
When she blinks, he sees that she has finally snapped out of her thoughts.
"You know, today's supposed to be just a short grocery run," she suddenly starts. "Just go to the store, buy the essentials then go home, the end."
'I can say the same thing.'
"But… I had fun with you by my side. We may just walk around the store together but… I had an enjoyable day. Thanks, Eraserhead."
She has a radiant smile, highlighted by the sunset.
Her pure happiness to just be with him is really mystifying.
"…Hm." He can only reply.
She lets out a quiet, airy chuckle. It's as if she is not surprised by his reply, as if she expected it.
"See ya, Eraser."
"See you."
She flashes him one final smile, a similar one like their departure earlier today, but less sad and more radiant, before she turns around and walks away.
Unlike last time, her shoulders are not slumping.
Happy new year everyone